Updates
Forthcoming exhibitions
"Haunted by Waters" An exhibition to showcase images from the "Haunted by Waters" Gallery and to celebrate the Upper River Derwent.
Hackness Village Hall, near Scarborough, on the 20th and 21st September, 9.00am to 7.00pm.
This project has developed into a community arts project involving Hackness School and the Derwent Art Group. It has been part funded by North York Moors National Park Sustainable Development Fund.
The "Haunted by Waters" images will also be shown at the Ingrid Flute Gallery in Ravenscar, near Whitby, October 10th to the 15th, 10.00am to 4.00pm
Fort William Mountain Festival, Scotland, March 2009, to showcase my Ben Nevis images
Aug 2008: my favourite......book
"A River Runs Through It" Norman Maclean
" The river was cut by the world's great flood, and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs"
There are few writers who can evoke such imagery in so few words.
Aug 2008: my favourite......photographer
Maciej Duczynski
Beautiful images, especially those of Iceland and Scandinavia
www.lonelywolf.pl/galeria/index.php?gallery=0 Latest Work
My recent locations
April 2008 was a special time in the Scottish Highlands for climbing, and for photographing, and I made some images which I had planned, even dreamed of, for many years. These are in my new mountain panoramas gallery.
March 2008 brought a cold spell, especially over Easter, but I was able to dodge the heavy and at times painful hailstorms to make some nice images close to home.
February 2008 was the mildest since 1970, and remarkable for the stationary high pressure centred over the Lake District. Luckily I found myself right there and I was able to make some nice images. I have never seen the lakes so still.
January 2008. So far January 2008 has been spectacularly grey for the most part, which is why I am pleased to have been lucky enough to visit the Lake District just before Christmas in order to photograph the results of a keen frost that lasted over two weeks and just about froze Derwentwater (and me......but I was sleeping in the car!)
November 2007. I have been making the most of the autumn colours in the Dalby Forest and the North Yorkshire Moors. You can see the results in the gallery: most recent work.
September 2007. As a family, we would have been quite happy to stay in the UK this summer but the dreadful weather.... you know the rest! So a last minute trip to Languedoc-Roussillon, South West France by way of Eurostar and TGV (far superior to Budget Air) gave us happy experiences on the Vermillion coast, on the Rousillon plains and in the mountains of the Pyrenees Orientales, the showpiece of which, for me, is the Pic du Canigou. I'm not sure my shots of the Cote Vermeille matched the work of Matisse, but the light was incredible all the same.
Back at home, I have been shooting my favourite places on the Yorkshire coast in this wonderful September weather.
Print sales
In many respects this is an exciting time to be a landscape photographer. As our landcapes and wild places become increasingly compromised by a range of environmental threats, so they become more precious and more appreciated. Landscape photographers the world over have recorded and celebrated the beauty of these wild places. There is also a tremendous interest in photography generally, and the general public, increasingly, are as likely to buy a photographic fine art print as they are to buy a print by Vettriano or Picasso. The panoramic format is increasingly popular. I feel there is now a greater understanding too: many people I speak to desire something more than a poster in a clipframe, and are quite discerning in their tastes. Equally there exists the tenet that photography as art should not be something to be consumed like the latest fashion accessory.
The term "Fine Art" is now used with some abandon these days, especially by photographers. I'm sure people with a Degree in Fine Art would be horrified, or perhaps amused. I've thought about this many times, and I have come to the conclusion that most people would agree that Fine Art refers to art that is concerned with beauty or which appeals to taste. The word "fine" doesn't refer so much to the quality of the artwork, but the purity of the discipline. Fine art definitely requires a high level of technique, and in terms of photography, I could suggest that fine art utilises the very best equipment, technology and materials. Naturally, I would add that it should include the sharpest images, shot in the very best light.
My panoramic images are recorded on Fuji Velvia film using the very best lenses from Schneider. I then scan the film at high resolution using an Imacon Hasselblad virtual drum scanner. When I scan my panoramic film, the result is an impressive digital file of around 35 million pixels and one Gigabyte file size. Although I love the romance of traditional wet chemistry printing and its results (I can produce these for you ~ please contact me for prices), I produce my prints using the latest Giclee technology coupled to the latest UltraChrome™ K3 pigment inks. I have chosen a selection of the very best Fine Art papers from companies such as Hahnenmule, Kodak and Innova. I am currently using the award winning Hahnenmule Fine Art Pearl paper. This combination provides prints with exceptional tonal qualities, colour depth and luminosity, and archival qualities in excess of 80 years. After months of testing different paper and printer combinations, I am satisfied that the technology I am using now is as good as traditional printing methods, and it certainly gives me the creative control that I desire. I go to great lengths to ensure that the final print is reproduced as closely as possible to the original transparency. Apart from film processing, which is carried out to the highest standards by NPS Media, I carry out all the scanning and printing myself so I have complete control over the quality of the final print. Nothing is rushed, and I make the prints on an individual basis to order. The detail recorded in my panoramic prints is staggering, and the 100cm wide panoramas especially are breathtaking. I don't know why, though many people agree, that the panoramas when printed, are much better the bigger they are.
I'm not sure if scanning and printing are arts or sciences. Perhaps dark arts..? I have taken advice from the handful of real experts in these fields, and one thing is certain: anyone can scan and print, but the skill to do these things well lies in the eyes, the hands, the mind, and possibly the heart of the technician. I digress......
By "Limited Edition" I guarantee that a maximum of 50 prints of each image will be made . After the 50th edition, the image will never again be printed as a fine art print. You can be sure that there will only ever be 50 editions of your print which means the print becomes more valuable and also more personal. All the prints are hand signed as well as being part of a numbered limited edition.
My prints can be ordered using the secure online system (see the Print Sales page) or if you prefer, you can e mail me, or phone me, and we can discuss your requirements. To be honest this is how I would prefer to work: when I have bought prints from other photographers, I have preferred to speak to them in person. I discovered that this was all part of buying into the experience of owning one of their prints, and I would like you to feel the same way.
Prints will be dispatched by First Class mail in thick, strong cardboard tubes, and will be accompanied by field notes about the image, notes on mounting, framing and care of your prints, and most importantly a signed and dated Certificate of Authenticity. Please allow 14 days for delivery.
I am so confident that you will be delighted with your purchased print that if, for any reason you are not totally delighted, I will offer you a full refund provided the print is returned to me undamaged.
All images may, however, still be used for stock imagery purposes. This means that the image may still be used for commercial purposes such as magazines and smaller, low resolution prints such as postcards.
15% of sales of images from Peru, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be donated to charities working in the regions where the photograph was taken.
Testimonials
Here are some comments from a couple of recent customers who have purchased prints from me:
"I have been delighted with both the pictures I have purchased as gifts and so have the recipents. The artistry of composition and quality of the prints is excellent and the personal service superb. Thank you so much" RP
"My Aonach Eagach Ridge print that I ordered online has just arrived and I was really knocked out by this stunning image! The colour and detail really jump out on this size and format of print. An excellent delivery service too - fast, well packed, and I liked the additional enclosed advice and information. This would make a brilliant gift for anyone inspired by these wild landscape images" ML
Choosing a print
I have had many interesting conversations, either directly at previews, by e mail, or over the phone with customers about how they choose a print when purchasing. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and personal tastes are unique and varied. I am quite surprised how many young people like sunsets. Some people like moody shots, but then say their favourites depend on their mood. Some people like colours, texture, shapes.
Most people who purchase a print from me have one thing in common, and that is the image is personal to them. It means something to them. Perhaps something simple and elemental. Perhaps a place remembered. Something from the heart.
If you are considering making a purchase, firstly let me say I am delighted, and secondly if you are feeling some of the things I discuss, you are probably on the right path to choosing the perfect print.
Panoramic photography workshops
I have had numerous requests from keen photographers about making the move into panoramic film photography, and on the strength of this I now offer panoramic photography workshops. The workshops have a maximum of three clients, and they are tailored to meet the precise needs of the clients. The emphasis will be very much on exploring elements in the landscape, from the details in "intimate panoramas" (no horizon) to photographing the very widest vistas, always with composition in this popular but unusual format in mind. The workshops will also aim to help you understand the light, and help you to meter and expose for Fuji Velvia 50 film.
I have a strong background in teaching, and after a few years with the panoramic camera, learning by successes and mistakes, I feel that I am pretty well qualified to pass on my experience.
If you are interested in moving into medium or large format but not sure which format exactly, or if you have just purchased a 617, or you wish to get more from your XPan, or if you feel that 35mm or DSLR just isn't a big enough canvas for you, a panoramic workshop using the Fotoman 617 will definitly help you.
From my base in North Yorkshire we are blessed with some fantastic locations for every season, any time of day, (and most weather!). Whether it is the coast, the North Yorkshire Moors National Park or Yorkshire's great forest, Dalby forest, there will be a great location not too far away.
Workshops will be one day duration and start and finish times can be flexible.
If you are travelling from some distance, there is a variety of local accommodation I am happy to recommend.
Please contact me for available dates, prices and further details.
Current clients include Shropshire County Council.
Scanning services
I am delighted to be able offer a professional specification film scanning service to photographers, using the award winning Imacon Hasselblad Flextight virtual drum scanner. I can offer different levels of scan, including a high resolution exhibition quality scan. Please contact me for full details of this service.
"Having presented you with 40 year old slides, some of which were an unusual size, I was thrilled to be able to present my mother with printed copies of these memories. The slides had accumulated dirt and damage during the years and the overseas travelling, yet I received almost flawless prints. Thank you." TF
Updates
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